Throttle-valve indicator



L. S. WATRES.

THROTTLE VALVE INDICATOR. APPLICATION-FILED MAY n. 1921,

.1,392, 994. Patented 001;. 11, 1921.

Inventor Jewis Swat-res;

7z,is Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFICE.

' IEVVIS S. WATRES, OF SCRAN'ION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 ROBERT C. ADAMS, OF FOREST HILLS, NEW YORK.

THROTTLE-VALVE INDICATOR.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

Application filed May 11, 1921. Serial No. 468,657.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lnwrs S. WA'rRns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Throttle-Valve Indicators, of which the following is. a specification.

This invention relates to indicators for throttle valves, and has for its object to provide a device of the class specified simple in construction and efficient in operation, and which provides the engineer with a reliable indication of the position of the throttle.

My improvements, while adapted for. use in a wide variety of environments, are herein illustrated as applied to a locomotive.

In common practice it is customary when a locomotive is running down grade, to shut offthe steam as not needed, but if the steam is fully shut off, that is, if the throttleis entirely closed, it permits the pistons to suck air into the cylinders through the stuffing bones about the piston rods and through the cylinder cocks. With the now customary use of superheated steam such admission of air has harmful results, such as the'burning out of oil. It is therefore customary for engineers to open the throttle a slight amount to what is commonly called drifting position and at which position a small amount of steam is admitted to the cylinders, resulting in the exclusion of air and suitable cushioning of the reciprocating parts. The setting of the throttle to admit just enough steam for this purpose requires a nicety of touch and some skill, and ateach repetition of such setting that skill must be exercised, so as not to admit a wasteful amount of steam andstill admitenough for the desired resuits. My improvements are directed to the accomplishment of this result with accuracy each time and to enable the engineer to set his throttle at drifting position without eX- perimentation.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my improvements in their preferred embodiment, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the usual locomotive throttle mechanism to which my improvements are applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a part of my device, and Fig.3 is a front view of another portion thereof. Figs. 2 and 3 are to the same scale which is about twice that of Fig. 1.

' in line with upstanding end 3 of lever 3.

Said plunger may be urged toward lever 3 by spring 10, and its spring urged movement is limited by collar. 11 thereon engaging the left hand end of bracket 8. Said plunger may be provided through a portion of its length with rack teeth 12 in engagement with the teeth of pinion 13 revolubly mounted in bracket 8. Another portion of said plunger is fiatted at 14 for engagement with spring urged detent 15 and said flatted portion 14 ends at shoulder 16 some distance from the projecting end 9 of plunger 9. Said plunger may be constrained against rotary movement by the engagement of pin 26 fixed in bracket 8, with keyway 17 in said plunger.

As illustrative of one form of visual indicator in connection with my improvements, I have shown dial 21 having pointer 22 pivotally mounted for rotation over the face thereof. Stem 28 of said pointer is fixed to gear 24 meshing with gear 20 and which latter gear is connected by flexible shaft 19 with pivot shaft 18 of pinion 13 which receives its motion from the sliding movement of plunger 9.

The operation of my improved indicator is as follows: The several parts of the mechanism being in the positions shown in the drawing, with the throttle partly open and the pointer on the dial indicating open at 25, lever 3 is movedftothe-left toward the closing position of the throttle. Said lever presently encounters outstanding end 9 of plunger 9, and, against the primary resistance of spring 10, pushes that plunger inwardly until shoulder 16 engages detent 15. This added or secondary resistance will be easily perceptible by the engineer, who, if drifting position is desired, rests the lever at that position, pointer 22 then being opposite drifting at 27. When the engineer de-o sires to completely close the throttle, he pushes lever 3 to the left a short distance farther, thereby moving plunger 9 inwardly a corresponding distance, and thereby forcing shoulder 16 past detent 15, whereby said detent is caused to retract upwardly, Fig. 2,

employing an operating lever, a resistance member in the path of said lever, said resistsaid and pointer 22 then stands opposite shut at 28. In the movement of lever 3 to the left, the primary resistance of spring 10,

when encountered, gives the engineer warning that he is approaching drifting position and he is therefore alert to feel the encounterof shoulder 16 with detent 15. Then if he desires to entirely close the throttle, a slightly added pressure on lever 3 overcomes the secondary resistance of detent 15 and lever 3 is thrown entirely over to the left.

I claim:

'1. In combination with a throttle valve, an operatin lever, and a resistance member in the path of said lever, said resistance member havingca primary resistance and asecondary resistance, said resistances being adapted to be successively overcome during the closing movement of said lever and indicating successive lever positions.

2. In combination with a throttle valve ance member having a primary resistance and a secondaryresistance, said resistances being adapted to be successively overcome during the closing movement of said lever, and indicatingsuccessive lever positions and a gage operatively connected with said resistance member for indicating the successivesteps in its operation.

3. In connection with a throttle valve employing an operating lever, a plunger, :1 yieldable detent in engagement with said plunger, a plunger spring, and a shoulder on said plunger which when said plunger is moved inwardly against said spring en said detent and which when said plun er-is further moved inwardly causes said dctent to retract.

d. In combination with a throttle valve employing an operating lever, a plunger, spring urged toward said lever, a yieldable detent in engagement with. said plunger, and a shoulder on said plunger adapted to be eng: ed by said detent, said lever when operated to move said throttle toward closing position being adapted for engaging said plunger for moving it to present its shoulder against said detent and for further moving plunger, whereby said shoulder causes detent to retract, thereby permitting shoulder to pass said detent.

In combination with a throttle valve employing an operating lever, a plunger, a yieldable detent in engagement with said plunger, a plunger spring, a shoulder on said plunger which when said plunger is in engagement with said teeth, and a dial.

having a pointer, said pinion being operatively connected with said pointer.

7. In combination with a throttle valve employing an operating lever,"a plunger adapted to be engaged by said lever, a yieldable detent engagement with said plunger, and a shoulder on said plunger'for engage ment with said detent, said detent being forced back when the shoulder on said plunger is moved past said detent by the movement of said lever to close said throttle.

8. In combination with a throttle valve, an operating lever, and an adjustable resistance member in the path of said lever, said resistance member having a primary resistance and a secondary resistance, said resistances being adapted to be'successively overcome during the closing movement of said lever. a

9. In connection with a throttle valve em: ploying an operating lever, an adjustable plunger, a yieldable detent in engagement with said plunger, a plunger spring. and a shoulder on said plunger which when said plunger is moved inwardly against said spring engages said detent and which when said plunger is further moved inwardly causes said detent to retract.

10. In combination with a throttle valve, an operating lever, means at a predetermined point in the path of the lever for yieldably resistingmovement of said lever, and other means forv increasing the resistan'ce to movement oi the lever and operative at a second predetermined point in the path of said lever whereby to indicate definite throttle valve positions. 7 i

In witness whereof, I hereby aiiix my signature, this lOth day of Mam-1921.

' LEWIS S. VVATRES. 

